CrossFire
by Kouji and XBlade
Summary: The Unofficial sequel to "Trigun". The adventures of Jin the Stampede and his team, and their search for Daggers, Jin's brother... (Joint fic between 2 authors)
1. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own Trigun or any of the characters. Although I do own Crossfire and the characters.

            #1 Beginnings

            by XBlade

After the fight with Knives, Vash settled down with Meryl. He was able to reform Knives' memories and thoughts. Knives doesn't kill anymore and actually likes the human race. 

            Vash and Meryl had a son named Jin. He grew like little Vash. By the time he was one, he could talk and everything. He was a good child and believed everyone has a chance at anything. He is very childish and loves donuts. He had spiky hair like Vash's, but it was red. 

But also like Vash, he had a twin brother.

A twin brother that was evil on the inside. He also looks like Knives. He studied Knives' old ways. He was even able to get a hold of and hide Knives' black .45 colt revolver.  On top of all of this, his name….. is Thousands Daggers! (Daggers, everyone calls him)

            As Jin left out to play in the desert that morning, he felt like somethings would never be the same. Since he was 12, he is old enough to leave by himself. He went out by this crater he loved to hand around and explore. He sat on the edge and watched the sunrise. A scorpion crawled next to him, he felt the ground move by his hands, he got startled and fell into the crater, bruising and fracturing some bones, he then fell unconscious.

            He awoke a few hours later, but not in the crater. Jin was in a girls house. It turns out a girl by the name of Mizu had been by that area at the time. She saw him fall and so she helped him to her house and is trying to help him heal. He awoke and stared at the girl, thinking she is an angel. "Where am I?" asked Jin.

"Don't talk. You damaged your ribs. You could hurt yourself." replied Mizu.

Jin nods slowly, then drifts off to sleep. Another girl peeks from behind a corner and sees the sleeping Jin. "Mother, who is this?" asked the girl.

"He had fallen in that big crater. So I brought him here so he can heal." Said Mizu.

The girl went up to Jin, she was about his height, and said, "Hello there. My name is Umi Waters."

Jin awoke and stared at her. He sat up a bit and said, "My name is Jin Strife."

He then sat up, and walked around. "So it seems you are okay then." Said Mizu.

"Yes, I guess it seems that way. Well, I better be getting home" answered Jin.

Mizu hands him a red trench coat she had found in the desert. It looks like it fits him just right. It was edited because the coat was too long. "I found this in that crater, lying next to you. I thought it might be yours." Said Mizu.

"Thank You" said Jin, a bit confused. "I better be on my way home now."

They wave, and he walks out the door.

            Jin comes to the same crater he had fallen down. He jumps onto a board that is lying in the rocks, and slides down to the bottom. When he gets down there, he sees something never thought he'd see. Vash's .45 long colt revolver. He picks it up and climbs up the other side of the crater, towards his home.

            When he opens the door to his house, he sees everyone on the couch watching TV. "What's on TV that's so special?" asked Jin.

            "It's the launching of the first space ships. They rebuilt them all. They're out exploring this space area, I guess it was only a matter of time." Said Meryl.

            "Yes, and I might be going on the next few ships. You coming too Knives?" said Vash.

            "Yeah, I guess. As long as they got some tea, eh Vash?" said Knives.

            "Hey, where'd you get that coat?" asked Vash.

            "Well, I had fallen into this crater. This girl took me in while I was unconscious. She helped me out, and she gave me this coat." Replied Jin.

            "Jin, that's my old trench coat. The Red is for the red Geranium. It means Determination. I can see it was altered to fit you." Said Vash.

            "I guess. I also found this gun in the middle of the crater." said Jin.

            Jin tosses Vash the gun. "Interesting. This is my old gun." Said Vash.

            "Jin, was there a black one there by it?" asked Knives.

            "No, there wasn't. as a matter of fact. Nothing else was over there." Said Jin

            "I made sure that both guns were there with my coat. Why would someone take only the black gun?" said the pondering Vash.

            "Yeah, and the girl that healed me was pretty cute too! Her daughter was also pretty." Jin said turning red a bit. 

            "Jin's got a girlfriend! Jin's got a girlfriend!" chants Daggers as he walks into the room and hands Vash a box of donuts.

            "Nuh Uh!" said a bright red Jin. 

            Jin heard a knock at the door. "Hello." Meryl opened the door to greet whoever it is.

            "Where is he?!?" asked the anxious mask wearing person.

            "Who?" asked Meryl.

            "That bastard Vash The Stampede!" said the mask wearer.

            "Hiya!" Vash said as he looked at the person who was holding a gun.

            Just then, Jin went up to see who it was, he recognized the persons hair. "Mizu?!?" said Jin.

            She took off her mask so she could see Jin. "Jin?!? W-what are you doing here?" asked Mizu.

            "I live here. Vash is my father." Answered Jin.

            "Sorry Jin. I'm no-" Mizu was interrupted by a gun shot.

            Mizu started to bleed from the stomach, and tears came down her cheeks. "We must kill the spider to save the butterfly." Said a voice similar to Knives'.

            They all look to Knives'. "What? Does it look like I have a gun?" said Knives'.

            "It wasn't him. It was me." Said Daggers.

            Jin kneeled by Mizu. "I'm Sorry Mizu. I'll heal you like you did to me." Said the teary eyed Jin.

            "I'm sorry Jin, but I'm afraid I wont be around. I didn't know you for long. But I valued the time we spent. It is wrong to kill people. I am wrong aswell. Goodbye Jin The Stampede." Mizu said as her pulse faded away.

            "Serves her right. The little B*tch was gonna try to take my job. To kill you, Vash The Stampede!" said Daggers.

            "No. Daggers, you are WRONG!" Jin said as he stood up with glowing eyes.

            "And what do you think you're gonna do about it?!?" said Daggers, holding the gun up. 

            Jin thought. The he jumped for the silver gun as Vash and the others moved out of the way. Daggers shot at Jin, but Jin dodged in the air. He grabbed the gun, shot Daggers in the hand, and jumped for it, grabbed it and held both to his head. "Get out. NOW!" yelled Jin.

            Daggers did just that. He ran out of the town yelling in pain. "Mizu, I'm sorry that had to happen to you." Jin said crying a bit.

            Just as a tear hit the black gun, it turned Silver. Then Jin thought. "UMI! I forgot about Umi!" Jin says as he runs out of the house, and towards Mizu and Umi's house.

            Jin gets to her house and sees Umi reading. "Umi.." Jin says as he walks in.

            "Oh Hey Jin!" she says with a smile on her face.

            "I have some bad news for you….you mother, Mizu, was shot. Shes dead, I'm sorry." Said Jin with sadness in his eyes.

            Jin tells her the whole story. Umi started to cry, and Jin started to walk out the door when Umi yelled "Jin! Wait. I want to come with you, after Daggers. I want revenge." She said holding up a crossbow.

            "Well, alright." Jin said.

            They set out back to Jin's house for whatever adventure awaits them.

Well, Whatcha think so far? It gets better. Much better. My friend Kouji will be typing the next several chapters. Okay, seeya soon!


	2. Water Days

Disclaimer: … Read the first chapter, dope. =P

Author's Note: Howdy! This is Kouji signing in! As you may know, this is a joint fic between me and my buddy, XBlade. The story was his idea, but I came up with the idea to write it together! Now, enjoy!

            Water Days

            By Kouji

            Jin and Umi reached Jin's house. Meryl was the only one there. "Um, Mom? Where's Dad and Knives?" 

            "They received a letter telling them they had to go into space on a mission. They've already left." Meryl explained. "Who's this?" she asked, pointing to Umi.

            "Oh, um this is Umi! She was Mizu's daughter…" Jin explained.

            Meryl frowned. "Oh… I'm very sorry what happened to your mother…"

            "It's… Okay…" Umi said, looking down.

            Vash and Knives were getting on the ship, when Jin ran up to them. "Dad! Uncle Knives!" They looked back to see him running up the stairs. Jin punched Vash playfully "You forgot to say bye…" he said. 

            Vash looked down at his son. "Yeah… I'm sorry… But we have to go now!"

            "I know… I'll miss you, though!" Jin yelled, hugging his father.

            Vash returned the hug. "I'll miss you too, son… Take care of Daggers!"

            Jin let go and watch his father and uncle get on the ship. He ran back down the steps and watched the ship blast off with Umi, who had been waiting.

            Meanwhile Daggers, somehow with 2 black guns, was creating 2 Angel Arms. He aimed them at a space ship… 

            Jin and Umi watched in horror as the space ship carrying Vash and Knives exploded. Jin's heart felt heavy. He looked down at the ground, trying not to cry.

            "Father…" Jin finally said, as he let a few tears fall. "From this day forward, in my fathers honor, I will be known as… Jin the Stampede…"

            Somewhere else, Daggers was smiling sadistically. "Goodbye… Vash the Stampede…"

            Jin angrily stared at the ground. "Daggers… It had to be him!" He crossed his guns in an "X" shape. "Don't worry Dad", he smirked, "I'll take care of Daggers…"

            3 days later, Jin and Umi found a town. They had been traveling for 2 days without food or water. They ran down to the town, but were discouraged to see that it was completely deserted. No one was there, and there was no water or food. 

            "… This SUCKS!" Jin screamed, then he fell on the ground. 

            Umi looked at the depressing excuse for a town, and frowned.

            "Howdy…", a voice said.

            Jin and Umi turned to see a guy wearing a blue denim jacket, a white tanktop,   jeans, and boots. He was sitting in a rocking chair, and had 2 cross shaped guns next to him."Welcome to the city of September", the person said half heartedly. He got up from the chair slowly. "My name is Sly, and I'm the only resident left here…"

            Umi raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the others? They didn't die, did they?" Umi asked fearfully. 

            "No, they just left…" Sly said, looking down.

            "If I may ask", Jin began, "what happened to all the water and food?"

            Sly sighed. He pointed at a small canyon. "Ya' see that? That used to be a river!" He frowned, then started talking again. "We used to thrive off of that man made river, but then, one day, a group of gunmen took over the town. They got their giant leader to sit in the river, and he blocked it. We haven't gotten water since then. People slowly began to move out, and I'm the only one left." He sighed again. "I was born here, and I plan on protecting it as long as I can…"

            Jin and Umi looked at Sly. He was a bit on the skinny side, showing that he hadn't eaten in a while. Umi spoke up. "How long have you been doing this?"

            Sly thought for a bit, then he said, "Must have been at least around… a month, I think…" He then collapsed. 

            A few hours later, Sly woke up in a room. "Where am I?" 

            Jin walked up to him. "We found the retreat where the townspeople have been staying at." Sly looked around. There were people everywhere, and he recognized them all. 

            "They came back for you", Umi explained. 

            "Well…" Sly thought, then his stomach growled. "I am a bit hungry…"

            Jin and Umi watched in amazement as Sly wolfed down tons of food.

            "Watch him ATTACK that thing…" Jin said, nibbling on a donut.

            Sly finished, then said, "Okay, back to guard duty!" He got up, began to walk, but was grabbed by the collar. He looked back. It was Jin. 

            "Where do you think you're going?" Jin asked. 

            "Um… To guard the town?" Sly replied. 

            "Nuh uh… The only way to solve this is to fight those gunmen head on! Right, Umi?" 

            Umi readied her crossbow and smiled. "Yep! We're gonna help you!"

            Sly got teary eyed. "Really?… Thanks…"

            Jin stared at Sly. "But first… You're gonna tell us where you got those Cross Punishers…"

            "Oh, that's what it was called? I just found one in the desert and built my own two versions! They're nothing compared to the original, though…"

            Jin thought for a bit "From what I heard from dad, Nicholas D. Wolfwood had 2 Cross Punishers…"

            "Then I guess these are the Cross Punishers 3 and 4…" Sly realized. 

            When they reached the canyon, they stared at the huge behemoth that they faced. He was at least 2 stories tall, and had a huge gun. He had tough looking armor, and a black moehawk.

            Jin twitched. "Well, crap…" he said, as his hand got closer to his gun.

            Umi got out her crossbow, but was shaking a bit.

            Sly, however, stupidly walked up to the guy and the gang and said, "Give me my freakin' water back!!" Jin and Umi sweatdropped. 

            The gang all drew their guns. "What should we do with 'em, Boss?" one of them asked. 

            The behemoth stared, then laughed.

            Jin, in a shaky voice said, "Well, he's laughing! That's a good sign, right?"

            "Maybe?" Umi replied.

            Sly raised his Cross Punishers, then dropped them. "… Uh, too heavy…"

            Everyone in the canyon face faulted. (Anime fall)

            The giant leader laughed again. "Well, I was going to kill you, but your friend, he make me laugh… So I won't kill you."

            Jin, Umi, and Sly sighed, relieved. 

            "Instead, I have you tortured!"

            They then drooped sadly.

            Umi then pretended to faint. 

            "What wrong with her?" the leader asked.

            "She needs water!" Sly yelled. 

            The gang was put into a frenzy. Meanwhile, Jin crawled up the canyon, snuck up to the giant, and shot him in the eye. "Ow! You little--" the giant yelled, grabbing for Jin. Jin did a flip, avoided the giants hand, and shot him in the other eye. The guns only temporarily blinded the giant.

            Sly raised the Cross Punisher 4, and shot a barrage of sleeping darts at the giant.

            Umi opened her eyes, got up, beat up a few gang members that got close to her, and shot at the rest with her crossbow. 

            The giant began to fall asleep. "You… stupid little… zzzZZZzzz…"

            The group then stared. Jin spoke up. "Now what do we do?…"

            A few hours later, the water was flowing back through the river, back into the town. The gunmen were in jail, and the townspeople returned. 

            Jin and Umi walked up to Sly. "Well, we've got to go. We're on a journey to find my brother, Daggers…"

            Sly raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

            "For… personal reasons…"

            "No, I have to stay here and make sure that the town is safe while the people are recovering, so our paths end here, unfortunately…"

            "Well then, good luck! We hope to see you again!" Umi exclaimed.

            "Goodbye, Sly" Jin said.

            "Seeya Jin, Umi… And thank you. You've made my town free…" Sly bowed.

            "It was no problem for… Jin the Stampede and his faithful sidekick!" Jin said, getting a macho look in his eyes. *BAM!*

            Sly chuckled and waved as he watched Umi drag off a knocked out Jin.

A little while later, Jin and Umi were in the back of a truck, heading for the city of October, where they would hop on a Sandsteamer to the city of February. As they sat, Jin thought to himself, thinking of the ship exploding. "I know it was you Daggers… I know it was you…"

And so, it ends for now… But next time, Jin and Umi travel a Sandsteamer, meet up with Sly again, and… very weird things happen…


	3. And So It Begins Again

Disclaimer: READ THE FIRST CHAPTER!!!

Author's Notes: Kouji again! That is all… =P

…And so It Begins… Again…

by Kouji

            Two lone figures arrived in the town of October. They were very hungry. Luckily, they had made quite a haul after bringing the water back to a city called September. They decided to check into a hotel, as the Sandsteamer would not leave until tommorow. If you haven't found out yet, the lone figures were Jin the Stampede and Umi Waters. They were currently in a heated discussion. 

            "Why can't be both have the bed?!" Jin exclaimed.

            "Because I don't trust you…" Umi stared.

            "Aww… I promise I won't do anything funny…"

            "No, no, no! You get the floor!"

            Jin pouted. "Alright…" he whimpered defeated, and set up a blanket on the floor.

            ~~~

            The next day, they woke up late. They rushed all the way to the station, then realized they forgot the tickets. They went back to the hotel, got the tickets, came back, and got on the Sandsteamer. 

            "Whew!" sighed Jin. "We made it!" 

            Umi stared at Jin. "Yes, but WHO forgot the tickets?"

            "Well sorry, but WHO poured ice water on my head?"

            "You were the one who was supposed to wake me up!"

            "… So?"

            "…Nevermind…"

            After the bickering ended, they walked over to their seats [1]. They were surprised to see a brown haired, tan guy with 2 crosses… "Howdy!" the figured waved.

            Jin raised an eyebrow. "Sly? What are you doing here?"

            "Yeah, what about your city, September?" Umi asked.

            "They'll be fine. I'm just heading toward February because there's an old friend of mine I need to see. Then I'm going back."

            "Okay, then…" Jin said.

            Sly takes out a box. Jin's eyes widen. "Are those… Donuts?!"

            Umi frowns. "Oh no…"

            Sly raises an eyebrow. "Um… Yeah… I--" He then looks down to see an empty box. "Heeey…" He stared at the two of them. "Which one of you took my donuts?"

            "Washent meh!" Jin said, a mouth full of donuts. He then swallows.

            "… It's ON now…" Sly said, jumping towards Jin.

            "Oh look, a penny!" Jin says as he bends over, making Sly fly into his seat.

            "… Ow…" Sly then gets up, and returns to his seat. 

            ~~~

            Meanwhile, a man with a gun was getting drunk. After drinking, he stumbles around for a while and harasses people on the Sandsteamer. In his misadventures, he just so happens to come across Jin and the others…

            ~~~

            "… Got any 3's?" Jin asked.

            "Go fish", replied Sly.

            "No da", said Umi.

            "What?!" both of the guys exclaimed.

            Umi just shrugged.

            The drunk was messing with a nearby family. The husband and father tries to reason with him. "Look, could you please leave me and my family alone?" The drunk shoots the man in the arm. The family screams. 

            "Hey, leave them alone!" Jin yells.

            The drunk looks over to Jin. "Who the hell are you?" he asked.

            "Me? I'm Jin the Stampede, and these are my lackeys!" he exclaimed. *WHACK! BAM!*

            "Who are you calling lackeys?!" Sly yelled.

            "Yeah, we're all equals in this!" Umi screamed at Jin.

            Jin whimpers. "Hey, that really hurts…"

            The drunk squints. "… Duckies!"

             All of the people in that part of the Sandsteamer sweatdropped. "Oh yeah, this guy's sloshed…", Sly muttered.

            The drunk shoots wildly, shooting Jin's hair and shooting Sly in the leg. 

            "Eep!" Jin exclaims, jumping out of the way. 

            Sly slinks over to a corner, out of gun fire. 

            Umi shoots the drunk with the crossbow, but in his drunken stupor he can barely feel it. "Oh boy…" she mutters.

            "Owww…" Sly whimpers.

            "He shot my hair…" Jin twitched. He jumped back out, and rolled on the ground, avoiding gunshots. He brought his guns out, shot the gun out of the drunk's hand with one, and shot him in the arm with the other. "Booya!" Jin exclaimed.

            "Whew…" Sly said, bringing is Cross Punisher 4 over to the other side, his finger brushing off against a trigger accidentally. "Aw, crap…" 

            ~~~

            A few miles away, a farmer can see a huge explosion off in the distance.

            ~~~

            February City is a huge metropolis, built over 2 years ago. The residents  claim to have seen it all, so it's no surprise to them when a Sandsteamer arrives in their station with a huge hole in it. Jin twitched. "Sly?"

            Sly blinked. "What?…"

            "Why didn't you tell us that you had a freakin' bazooka?!"

            "Um… Didn't think it was important…"

            "Oh, okay…" Jin replied. He then smacked Sly.

            "Now we have to work off the damages to the Sandsteamer!" Umi screamed. "Idiot…"

            "Hey, it's not so bad! The owner said we can just work some odd jobs here and there, so we can pay it off!" *THWACK!*

            Sly was left in a sizzling, popping puddle of his former self as Jin and Umi angrily huffed off somewhere.

            ~~~

            The End again, for now… Sayonara.

Oh, and a few final notes.

[1]: I haven't seen the episode "B.D.N." in a while, so if I get a few things wrong about Sandsteamer', sorry… =P


	4. The 600,000 Double Dollar Boy

Disclaimer: … You know the drill… 

A/N: It's me again… You don't get XBlade or a plot again until chapter 9. Then, we alternate until 18, where I sign off. Then XBlade will write the final chapters until 26, which we write together. Blah.

The $$600,000 Boy

By Kouji

            Once again, our heroes were traveling in the desert. They hadn't eaten in days. They were very hungry. "I'm gonna kill whoever gave me that 'tip' that Daggers was in February…" Jin growled.

            Sly spoke up. "Do you think it was a good idea to run away from the bill on the Sandsteamer damage?"

            "Hey, you're the one that did it. It's your responsibility, not ours…"

            "Ah, okay… I guess you don't have to worry about that sign with our faces on it, then."

            Umi raised an eyebrow. "What sign?"

            "The one on that cactus -- cacti-- er, that prickly green plant over there." Sly said, pointing at it. 

                                                **WANTED $$600,000 **

**ALIVE**

**                                                JIN THE STAMPEDE**

**            SYLVESTER CHATANOOGANAKANAKANAKAJOOJOO**

                                                     UMI WATERS 

            "Aw crap, they used my real name…" Sly muttered.

            "That's your name?!" both Jin and Umi taunted. They then laughed.

            "Grr… Shut up…"

            "But this means we're wanted…" Jin said after calming down. "We have to be careful…" The other two nodded and they were on their way to March City. 

            ~~~

            "There they are…" a mysterious figure said, looking through binoculars. The figure and it's gang drove down the hill in a Jeep-looking thing. "Jin the Stampede! I've got you now!" The Jeep came to a halt, and all the gang members got out of the vehicle. The leader was a very feminine looking person with jeans and a yellow jacket. "So, the rumors _are_ true", the leader said.

            Jin glared. "What rumors?"

            "That Jin the Stampede was nothing but a scrawny little boy!"

            "Grr, take that back! Who are you, anyway?"

            "I am Alex Roswalker, Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire!"

            Meanwhile, Sly and Umi were watching. Sly had a look of thought on his face.

            "But another rumor was true also…" Alex said.

            "What?" Jin muttered.

            "You are cute!" Alex said, poking Jin on the nose and kissing him on the cheek.

            Jin glared, then smirked. "I guess you're after the bounty on me and my two sidekicks?" *BAM!*

            Umi glared. "I swear, if you do that again…"

            Jin got back up and whimpered. "You're a meanie…"

            Umi got an "X" shaped vein on her forehead and twitched. "No I'm not…"

            Alex began stomping on the ground. "Quit ignoring me!"

            Jin looks back to Alex. "So, ya wanna fight me? Let's go, then!"

            "Very well. It will be a showdown between the two of us, and ONLY us… If any of your little friends interfere, my men will have to… step in…"

            The two gun slingers faced each other off. Alex brings out a machine gun and begins shooting. Jin's eyes widen and he runs and dodges flying bullets. "No fair, you didn't tell me you had a machine gun and besides, I wasn't ready!!" Jin could only dodge so many bullets and got shot in his right arm twice. He fell to the ground, holding it.

            Sly yelled over to Jin. "Yo! Catch!" He tossed the Cross Punisher over to Jin and dragged Umi down to the ground. Jin caught it and pulled the trigger. A barrage of bullets from a built in machine gun shot through the air, a few hitting Alex in the shoulder. 

            "I said no interference!" Alex snarled. 

            "Yeah, but I didn't interfere", Sly smirked. "My gun did…"

            Alex got up. "Well then, you're free to go…"

            "Really?" Jin asked. 

            "Yep… Let's go, gang!" Alex and her gang then rode off. 

            "Well, I hope all bounty hunters are that easy! Oh well, all in a day's work for Jin the Stampede! Ha ha ha ha!!" *BAM!*

            "Don't forget, your ass would be plugged full of lead right now if it wasn't for me!" Sly said, his fist in the spot where Jin's head was.

            Jin was on the ground, whimpering. "Why are you guy's so mean?"

            "Well, someone's gotta keep your ego in check…" Umi twitched.

            ~~~

            Meanwhile, another bounty hunter was watching. "Hmm, this one might be tough… But oh well…"

            ~~~

            The team was once again traveling through the desert. They then saw a guy with a brown trench coat, black pants, gloves, and a huge hat. "… You Jin the Stampede?"

            "What's it to you?" Jin said.

            "I'm out to get the bounty on you and your friends…"

            "Oh boy, another one? Oh well, I'll take this guy out too…"

            "Oh you will, will you?" The bounty hunter tore off his trench coat to reveal a robotic body. 

            "Ohhh… Okay, this might be a little trouble…" Jin said, raising an eyebrow.  "Can I get a hand, guys?" He looked back to see running off.

            "Oh, no! We wouldn't want to get in the way of the great Jin the Stampede, would we?" Umi said.

            "Nope…" Sly muttered.

            "Aw, c'mon! I was just joking! Guys?" he looked back at the guy. 

            "Mwahahahaha! I am Mr. Roboto!" the guy said.

            "You're joking, right?"

            "… Shut up!" Mr. Roboto screamed, shooting missiles at Jin.

            "Crap!" Jin yelled, running.

            "Ha! Run! Run! You won't get far… They are heat seeking missiles!"

            "… Dude?"

            "What?"

            "We're in a desert…" Jin jumps, the missiles hit the hot sand.

            "Oh… Well, eat laser!" Mr. Roboto shoots lasers out of his eyes. Jin easily dodges the slow lasers. 

            "… You're not a very well built robot, are you?"

            "No… I'm sorry…"

            "It's okay…" Jin says, as he shoots a hole into the robot.

            "Urk, malfunctioning! Does not compute! There is no spoon! You suxx0rs!" The robot then explodes. 

            "… Well that was awkward…" Jin says, as he searches for the others. He grabs his arm. "Ow! It still hurts from earlier…" He continues searching.

            "Going somewhere, Jin the Stampede?" a voice asks.

            "Oh no…" Jin says, as he turns around.

            "I am the one who built the robot…"

            "Ah, yes… The clunker!"

            "Yes, but he was merely a decoy" the man said. "My name is Fad…"

            "So you're an inventor?"

            "Nice observation! The Academy of Inventions cut my funding, and all I need is $$500,000 to complete my greatest invention!"

            "So you're out to get me so you can get the money…"

            "Yes. Now if you would just come quietly…"

            "No way! I'm not going out without a fight!"

            "Then I'm afraid I'll have to take you by force…" Fad says, as his left arm becomes a case. The case opens to reveal several guns. The guns are all pointing at Jin, and they go off.

            "AAAAHHH!!!" Jin dodges some, gets hit a few times, then shoots with both guns, shooting Fad in the legs. 

            "Oh well… " Fad says, his legs popping off to reveal 2 machine guns. "This… is my greatest invention!"

            "Geez…" Jin mutters.

            "I've turned my body into the ultimate human weapon! You are the first to see this!"

            "Lucky me…"

            "Now I shall finally finish this invention, after catching you!"

            "You talk to much…" Jin was beginning to get woozy from all the gunshots.

            "You shouldn't be so cocky… I know who your father is…"

            "Of course. Vash the Stampede. Wasn't 'the Stampede' enough of a clue for you?"

            "Well I'm not the one in a net!"

            "What are you--" Jin looked around to see he was in a net. "Oh…"

            "Ha! I tricked you with your excessive talking!"

            "Aw man…"

            "Ha ha! I --" Fad fell asleep.

            "… What the?"

            "Howdy…" Sly said, as he put down the Cross Punisher 4 and Umi laughed. 

            "How long were you there?" Jin asked.

            "Eh, I dunno…"

            "… You suck…"

            "I know!" Sly said, smiling.

            "Well, say goodbye to the 'Great Jin the Stampede'…"

            "So you're done being a fat head?"

            "Yeah… Hey! Shut up!"

            "Well I'm not in a net!"

            "Who said I was in a net? Thanks Umi…"

            "No problem…" Umi shrugged.

            Jin got up. "Well, shall we get going?"

            Umi smiled. "Ready when you are!"

            "Okay then…" Jin said, picking up the Cross Punisher 3. "Here, Sly!"

            "Naw, keep it…" Sly said "Carrying both of those is killing my back!"

            They all laughed for no reason and headed over to the next town/city.

            ~~~

            DONE!!! GO HOME NOW!!! ;_;


	5. Loss

Disclaimer: …

A/N: None.

            Loss

            By Kouji

            "Well, this is March City…" Umi sighed. "This is also where we part ways for a while…"

            "What?" Jin asked. "But why?"

            "It's not forever… We'll meet again…"

            "… Alright, I can't stop you…"

            "Goodbye…"

            "Bye…"

            Sly looks over from his spot and waved.

            Umi waved at them as she walked away.

            "Well, guess it's just us…" Sly said, as he picked up the Cross Punisher 4. 

            "Yeah…" Jin said as he sighed.

            "You like her, don't you?…"

            "Uh, what?! No! That's not it at all!"

            "Yeah, whatever…"

            "Shut up, Sylvester…"

            "You wanna die?"

            "I'd like to see you try!"

            "Well fine!"

            "Excuse me?…" a voice said.

            "Huh?" both Jin and Sly looked over.

            A guy wearing a blue tuxedo was standing there. He had blond hair and red eyes. He smiled. "Are you Jin the Stampede?"

            "… Why do you want to know?" Jin asked.

            "I'm just a humble bounty hunter, out for the bounty on your head…"

            "Why is everyone after me?! It's not like I have a big bounty on my head…"

            "Each time you evaded bounty hunters, it went up by 100,000. Right now, you're worth $$900,000"

            "But that still isn't much…"

            "Yes, but it's a lot, so I'm after that reward… I'm not picky"

            Sly raises an eyebrow. "Why does he get all the credit? I'm the reason we have a bounty on our heads…"

            "Yes, but Jin the Stampede, the son of Vash the Stampede, makes for better publicity… Plus, if I can beat Jin the Stampede, I can definitely catch you…"

            "Oh…" Sly said, twitching. "Is that so?"

            "Sly, let me handle this…" Jin interrupted. 

            People began to gather around, getting excited to see a showdown.

            Jin growled. "Grr… Get out of here! Ya' wanna get killed?!"

            People began running everywhere as Jin shot in the air three times. He then reloaded. 

            Jin looks back to the bounty hunter. "What's your name?"

            The bounty hunter smiles at Jin. "Michigan Jay… But you can call me Jay…"

            "Well then, Jay… Let's go…"

            Jay brought out two giant guns. Jin ran towards Jay. Jay shot at Jin, but Jin jumped into the air. Jay swung his guns back, hitting Jin in the legs. Jin fell to the ground. Jay began to shoot at Jin before he could get up. The gun shot huge steel balls, and they hit Jin in his left arm, breaking it. Jin screamed out in pain as Jay walked over and kicked him. 

            "Hey! That's fighting dirty!" Sly said as he ran over and shot at Jay with the bazooka side of the CP4 (Cross Punisher 4). Jay blocked them with his guns, but he went flying backwards. Jin got up and punched Jay in the face. Jay swung both guns, hitting both Jin and Sly. They both go flying into a house, making a nice sick sounding thwack, followed by the sound of bones cracking. 

            "Oww… Damn that hurts… Bastard…" Sly groans, trying to get up.

            Jin slowly gets up, and picks up the Cross Punisher 3. He tries to shoot it using one arm, but drops it. He begins coughing up blood.

            Jay laughs. "So this is the great Jin the Stampede? I might as well kill you and put you out of your misery, but then I wouldn't get that reward!"

            "Grr… Shut the hell up!" Jin growls.

            "Temper!"

            Sly then got an idea. "Hey! Jin wasn't ready! He doesn't have all his weapons with him! You wanna see him at full capacity? Give us 2 weeks, and you'll see the REAL Jin the Stampede!"

            Jin thought to himself. _What's he up to?…_

            Jay thinks for a bit. "Well, I could never back down from a challenge… Fine! You get 2 weeks to heal and gather your best weapons…"

            Jin's eyes widened. _It worked! _Jin then blacked out.

            ~~~

            A little less than 2 weeks later, Jin wakes up in a room. He looks around. There is a lot of machinery around the place. He then looked up to see an old man staring him right in the face. "GAH!!" 

            "Oh, sorry! You're just such an interesting specimen! A human/plant hybrid! Oh, if I only you could stay longer so I could study you…"

            "Study me?! What are you, some kind of old crazy quack?! Where am I?! Where is Sly?!"

            "Calm down… I'm over here…" said Sly, waving from a chair. "You really are interesting, though… You're pretty much fully healed."

            Jin raises an eyebrow. "How?"

            "… Think! It's in your genes!"

            "Hm?" Jin thinks as he looks at his pants. 

            "Not your pants! I mean… Look, you're part human part plant, so you have great healing abilities that are even better than your father's!"

            "Oh… Here, take this. It's a pocket knife made of some of the strongest materials. It could save your life someday!"

            "Heh, I doubt it… Anyway, this is Dr. Tek… He's that friend I was talking about!"

            "I thought he lived in February…"

            "He moved… Again… I hate that!"

            The doctor interrupted. "Jin, I have a gift for you! In fact, 2 gifts!"

            Jin brightened up. "Really?!"

            "Yes…" He brings out 2 watch looking things. "These are called Spirit Gun Blades. You can bring them out by will. I also have these new boots for you!" He gets out a pair of boots. "These are special, they each hide a blade that retracts in and out. Both items should increase your speed and strength a bit…"

            "…Awesome!"

            "Glad you like them! I'll be right back…" Dr. Tek then left.

            Sly sighed and loaded up his new guns in a case. "Jin?"

            Jin looked at Sly. "Yeah?"

            "You scared?"

            "Kind of… Why?"

            "This… has gotten really serious… You can't just joke around with the bad guys any more… You have to get serious about this…"

            "… I know"

            ~~~

            A few days later, Jin and Sly prepare to leave. Jin looks back to Dr. Tek. "Bye, Doc! Thanks for the stuff!"

            Sly smiles. "Yeah, we owe ya!"

            "Think nothing of it! Just come back so I can study you Jin!"

            Jin's eyes widen, then he gets a serious look on his face. He begins walking toward the city.

            _I may not be able to fill my father's shoes, but I'll try my best._

_ Playtime is over. _

_I have to get serious in order to save myself and protect the ones I love… _

_Jay, I **will** beat you…_

To Be Continued… 

            ~~~

            Blah blah blah… Show OVA! DONUTS!!!


	6. Try Again

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah…

A/N: None.

            Try Again

            By Kouji

            "People who sin say this: That they had to, to survive.

 People who sin say this: That it's too late to stop.

 The shadow called Sin dogs them steadily without a word.

 Remorse and Agony are repeated, to finally end up at Despair.

 But sinners don't know... that if they turn around, there is a light...

 a light which keeps shining on them every so warmly." **_*_**

            Jin thought of those words taught to him by his father. He wondered what they actually meant. He never got any of that philosophy stuff. He glared at Jay, who was just sitting in a lawn chair. He smiled, got up from the chair, and faced Jin. "So, you came back? Where's your friend? He didn't abandon you, did he?"

            Jin growled. "No, he's still around. He's just too injured still to fight! I bet if he were fine he'd help me kick your ass…"

            Jay glared. "You have a sharp tongue… Maybe I should cut it off!"

            "I'd like to see you try…"

            "You're an anxious one, aren't you… Well you'll have to wait, because we're fighting in a certain arena…"

            "Alright then… Where is it?"

            "In the middle of the desert just outside March City"

            "Yes but where is it?"

            "You'll find out…"

            ~~~

            "Sly? What are you doing here?" Jin asked, finding Sly in the desert.

            "Um… I got lost…" Sly muttered.

            "… Idiot… Well c'mon, we gotta find the 'arena'…"

            "… Are you gonna use them?"

            "…Yeah…"

            "Be careful…"

            "Hm?…"

            With that, they continued on their way.

            ~~~

            "Water… waaateeeer…" Sly groaned, crawling on the sand.

            "Donuts… doooonuuuuts…" Jin said, also crawling.

            "Hey, ya know what would be funny?"

            "What?"

            "If there was a huge neon sign that said 'ARENA HERE!'"

            "… Get ready to laugh…"

            "Why?"

            Jin pointed to a huge neon sign that says 'ARENA HERE!' "That's why…"

            "Oh… Then let's go!"

            ~~~

            "So… You found me?" Jay said, standing up from meditation.

            "Yes, no thanks to your cryptic clues…" Jin said, standing across from him.

            Sly blinked. "I'll just stand here, then…" he said, watching Jin and Jay walk into the stadium.

            ~~~

            "Welcome to my arena, Jin the Stampede!"

            "Enough with the chit chat, let's get this over with…"

            "Fine then, but only if we add one simple rule…"

            "And what is that?"

            "We begin it in an old fashioned showdown. We face each other in opposite directions, back to back, and walk 10 paces. After that, we face each other and shoot. If both of us are still alive, anything goes after that!"

            "… Fine then…"

            The two got ready, walked 10 paces and fired. Jin got shot in his right leg, and Jay got hit in both arms. Jin flinched, and hunch down to the ground. Jay ran toward Jin, but Jin swung his leg, released a foot blade, and sliced Jay in the face. Jay growled and kicked Jin in the face. Jin went flying through the air. He grabbed a railing, swung off it, and kicked Jay. Jay hit a wall, and Jin fell to the ground, his right leg further injured. 

            Jin groaned as he struggled to get up. "Why… can't I activate them?…"

            Jay walked over to Jin and picked him up. "I would kill you if it wasn't for the reward…"

            Jin smirked. "Do you really hate me that much?…"

            "Yes. I hate you with a vengeance!"

            "But why? You could easily beat me right now…"

            "Because… my father was killed by the actions of Vash the Stampede…"

            "What?!"

            "Yes… His damn 'Love and Peace' philosophy let insane criminals free! One of the people he let go eventually came to March and slaughtered hundreds of people, and thanks to my father's sacrifice, the man was brought down… Now Vash is dead and I have no one to take my pain out on… Except the son that is walking in his father's footsteps…"

            "That's no reason to--"

            "Your father was an idiot…"

            "… What did you say?!"

            "Your father's philosophy was stupid… Evil people deserve to die, even if they can change…"

            "… But aren't you being an 'evil person'?"

            "Maybe so… But this must be done…"

            "… Then I guess you deserve to die!" Jin screamed, as the Spirit Gun Blades arose from the watches on each of his wrists. His now hateful looking eyes glowed blue.

            "What the hell is that?!"

            "Your executioner!" Jin said, as he stabbed Jay in the stomach.

            "Agh!"

            Jin then shot Jay, pulled the blades out, and stabbed him in the shoulder, right near his heart. He then pulled outward, tearing off Jay's arm off, as blood flew onto the floor, splattering on Jin's face. Jay was now on the floor.

            Jay writhed in pain on the ground, as Jin picked him up, and prepared to give the final blow. 

            "Go ahead… Do it…" Jay gurgled. "Kill me, you freak…"

            Jin froze as he remembered his father's words. 

            "People who sin say this: That they had to, to survive.

 People who sin say this: That it's too late to stop.

 The shadow called Sin dogs them steadily without a word.

 Remorse and Agony are repeated, to finally end up at Despair.

 But sinners don't know... that if they turn around, there is a light...

 a light which keeps shining on them every so warmly."

It was at that moment that Jin knew what his father meant. If you do something wrong, you had no right to do it, and there is always a chance to try again and make things right. So he slowly put Jay down, and began crying for what he had done. His eyes slowly went back to normal and the blades retracted.

~~~

In a dark room somewhere, Daggers was cursing. "Damn, I lost control of him… Even in death, my father still ruins my plans… But you can't and won't stop me the next time I strike, Vash…" He picked up his 2 guns and loaded them. "Jin… I'm coming after you…"

            ~~~

            As Jin cried, a badly injured Jay aimed a revolver at him. "Goodbye, freak…"

            "Sorry…" said Sly, shooting Jay in the head with a pistol. "I can't let you do that…"

            Jin got up and grabbed Sly by the collar, shaking him. "What did you do that for?!"

            Sly was unfazed. "He was going to kill you, so I shot him… It's as simple as that…"

            "But… We could have changed him!"

            "But what if we couldn't? Let him go and have him try to kill you again?"

            "Just… leave me alone…"

            "…… Fine. You want me to leave? I'll leave. You can just stay here feeling sorry for yourself…" Sly began to walk off.

            "… Wait…"

            Sly stopped. "What?"

            "… I'm hungry…" Jin then passed out.

            Sly smirked a bit. "… I just can't stay mad at you…" he said as he picked Jin up and carried him on his shoulder. "… Wow, you're surprisingly light…" Sly then carried his friend out of the arena.

**The End… for now!**

            ~~~

            … Goodnight, everyone…

            ~ Kouji

            **_*_**=Vash's quote to the preview of "And Between the Wasteland and Sky"


	7. Food Fight

Disclaimer: Alright, we don't own Trigun or the characters… We only own the characters in Crossfire… Nyah.

A/N: None… Blah…

            Food Fight

            By Kouji

            Somewhere in a restaurant, a restaurant in March City, people were being held hostage. The bandit, who was known as Bandit Javlin, demanded $$400,000 or he would kill everyone there. His gang was outside and they were guarding the place. They had a mean aura surrounding them, and they had huge guns. Oh well, what else was new.

            Meanwhile, on the back of a truck, Jin the Stampede and Sylvester Chattanooganakanakanakajoojoo were dying. Well, at least that's what they were complaining about. 

            "… You drank the last of the water…" Jin glared.

            "I had to…" Sly said.

            "Just like you had to kill Jay?"

            "Now don't start that again!"

            "Sorry… Just really thirsty and tired and hungry…"

            "Well, we're heading back into March, so we can eat and get something to drink and rest…" he then raised an eyebrow and sniffed the air. "…and get some showers…"

            ~~~

            "Now listen up! If everyone obeys my orders, you _might_ get out of this alive!" Bandit Javlin yells out to everyone in the restaurant.  He is a tall, husky looking man with scraggly black hair and a beard to match. He is wearing white shoes, orange pants, a red shirt, brown gloves, a blue vest, and a purple hat. The whole outfit is very cheesy looking. He is carrying a with a short handle and very long retracting barrel, so he can shoot at different distances. At the end of it was a very sharp looking blade. "If my demands aren't met, I am going to burn this place down!"

            A thin bald man wearing a nice suit walked up to Bandit Javlin. "Please… please don't do this!" the man said. He was Will Tress, the owner of the restaurant. "I put my life into this restaurant, please don't take it away!"

            "If I get my money, your dumb restaurant stays in one piece…"

            "Thank you…"

            ~~~

            "Hey, what's that?" Sly says, as Jin walks out of the post office with a package. 

            "It's from my mom!" Jin says, opening it. He finds a note, and a pair of yellow tinted sunglasses with jagged shaped handles. Jin reads the note. 

            Meryl: _These belonged to your father. I never knew what he saw in those old things… I thought he looked dorky in them! Anyway, maybe you'll like them. Stay safe, honey! _

_            ~Mother_

            Jin looked at the sunglasses. "Hey, these are cool!"

            "I dunno…" Sly blinked.

            "Hey, don't knock the glasses…"

            "Okay, let's get something to eat…"

            "Okay…"

            "Okay then… Jin?"

            "Yeah?"

            "The will come when you have to kill… I'm sure your father realized that in the end…"

            "I realize that now, too…" Jin said, putting on the sunglasses…

            "… Good… Let's go…"

            ~~~

            "Foooooooooood!!!" Jin screams, running towards the guarded restaurant. 

            "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" some says, shooting at Jin.

            "Gah!" Jin says jumping over the gunfire and shooting at some guards below. He shoots the guns out of their hands, then lands on the ground and kicks them all down to the ground, knocking them out.

            "A robbery, huh? This place isn't very heavily guarded…" Jin said staring at the 4 knocked out guards. All of a sudden, Jin got hit in the arm with a blade. "Ow! That hurt!"

            "Then stay out of my way!" Bandit Javlin yelled to Jin. 

            "… That's mean! Why would you do something like that!"

            Bandit Javlin and the rest of his gang face faulted.

            Sly ran up to the scene and shot a gang member who was on the roof.

            "Pay attention! You almost got shot in the head!"

            "Sorry…"

            Sly sighs. "S'okay…"

            Jin stood up straight and looked over to Bandit Javlin. "Now tell me why you are doing this? Revenge? Need the money to help someone or finish something?"

            "No, I'm just really greedy…" Bandit Javlin said.

            "… Well, at least he's honest…"

            Bandit Javlin took out his gun and the barrel extended so that it could easily shoot Jin.

            "That's a pretty fancy gun, there…"

            "Why thank you"

            Sly growled. "Jin! Stop with the talking! Did you learn nothing from the fight with Jay?!"

            "Right…" Jin said. He looked at all 5 of the remaining gang members standing there.

            "Oh, right…" Sly brung out 2 guns and shot the gang members in their hands, disabling them from using a gun. "There", he smirked, "now it's just you two…"

            "Grrr… Fine then…" Bandit Javlin said, as he shot at Jin. Jin ran into the restaurant and hid under a table. He got up, picked up a plate of spaghetti, and threw it at Bandit Javlin. Bandit Javlin, not expecting something like this, ended up with a face full of pasta. 

            Sly twitched. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

            Bandit Javlin wiped some noodles off his face, and shoots at Jin. Jin held up a plate, and it is shattered. Jin jumped over to another table and tossed some still pretty hot coffee at Bandit Javlin. Javlin dropped his gun and Jin hopped on a few tables, jumped in the air, and kicked Javlin. Javlin fell to the floor, and Jin activated his Spirit Gun Blades. He slashed Javlin's gun in half. 

            "There, no more gun!" Jin smiled.

            ~~~

            The Bandit Javlin Gang and the bandit himself were locked up, and the hostages were safe. Jin and Sly sat down and munched on some donuts, freshly made by the restaurants top chef. 

            "Wow, thesesh ah weally goowd!" Jin said with a mouth full of donuts. 

            "Ew, that's disgusting…" Sly groaned. "Didn't your mother ever teach you to chew with your mouth closed?"

            "Yeah…" Jin said, swallowing. "But she also had to tell my dad that!" Jin said, beginning to laugh. He then frowned. "I miss him…"

            "S'okay… S'only natural…" Sly said, patting Jin on the back.

            Jin stood up, walked away to a nearby clearing, took his sunglasses off and looked at the sky. "Father… I know I have to find Daggers… But when I find him, what should I do?…"

            ~~~

            ~~~

            And that's all for now…

            ~Kouji


	8. Millions Knives

Disclaimer: Blah. Read the last chapter or chapter 1…

A/N: This shall be the last chapter by me for now. XBlade's next at bat, then we alternate. So, seeya soon!

~Kouji

            Millions Knives

            By Kouji

            As I reached the town with Knives over my shoulder, I smiled at Meryl and Milly and walked into my room. I set Knives down on my bed, and waited. He was still unconscious, and I was a bit worried. Had I shot him too many times? Meryl and Milly peeked into my room and frowned.

            ~~~

            It's been a few days now. Knives is awake, but is crying out in pain. "Now do you see what you've put others through? Do you?!" I ask him. I mentally curse myself for saying such a thing. I try to comfort my brother. He tells me to get out. I comply with his request. I just wish… that I could help…

            ~~~

            A few weeks later, I am helping Knives walk again. We are out in public, and Knives is giving all the people nasty looks. I glare at him, and I take him back home.

            ~~~

            Meryl, Milly, and I are trying to teach Knives that not all people are bad. Knives has to be tied up so he doesn't hurt anyone. He isn't convinced by our teachings. I am getting worried.

            ~~~

            Knives caught Meryl and I "in the act". I was so embarrassed. He said he was disgusted with me. He said that I had "befouled myself with her dirty human body". I said that he was wrong, and that I loved Meryl. He stomps out of the room. I just forget it and go back to Meryl.

            ~~~

            Meryl was squeezing the life out of my hand. I knew pregnant women were strong, but jeez! The doctor is hard at work. Knives is glaring at us. Milly is getting some things ready. 

Almost an hour later it is over. My two sons, Jin and Daggers were born. Meryl and I kissed each other. She was crying. I was crying too. Knives burst out of the room angrily.

            ~~~

            About 6 months later, the twins were already 2 years old physically. They don't grow up as fast as Knives and I did, but they are growing very fast! Knives avoided them like the plague, and it angers me that he would hold his grudge against humans against my sons, just because they are part human. 

            ~~~

            A year later, Jin and Daggers stopped rapidly growing. They were 8 years old physically. They would grow normally for the rest of their lives. That was good. They wouldn't have to deal what I would go through. I have at least 100 more years before I die. By then Meryl would be gone from my life forever. And now, so would my sons. The thought made me depressed. 

            The good thing was, Knives was beginning to like humans. I always took him to the local bar to meet a few friends of mine. Knives said that they were "amusing" and "he liked to see them sloshed". I laughed at him.

            ~~~

            One night, Knives tried to sneak out of the house and he fell into a huge ditch. A traveler eventually rescued him, and they talked over some soup. The man told him about his family that he was gathering up money for. Knives finally saw that there was some good in some humans, while there were bad humans. He also realized that he didn't have to kill all the spiders in order to save the butterfly. He told me all this himself, that is…

            ~~~

            Knives and I stared at the twins playing. I smiled, and he went over to them. Then, for the first time in their lives, they got a hug from their uncle. I smiled even wider. The twins looked confused. Their faces seemed to say "why is he doing this? He was never this nice before…" I smiled even wider at their naiveté. I then had to call Meryl over, as my face was stuck.

            ~~~

            It's been 6 years since then. Since the day Knives was fully rehabilitated. My sons are 14 now. Jin turned out okay, but Daggers is becoming more and more like the old Knives everyday, and to tell the truth, I'm scared… He killed for the first time earlier today… 

            Knives and I were called on for a mission into space. I said goodbye to Jin, and we blasted off. Knives was a bit annoyed at the delay, and it made me chuckle. He's still a bit irritable. I told Jin to "take care of Daggers" before we left. I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way…

            I remember the last thing I saw being a huge flash of light before the ship Knives and I were in exploded… 

            _I now have no idea where I am…Am I alive? Am I dead? Was this all just a dream, and I'm still on that SEEDS ship? Or was my past just a nightmare that I can't wake up from, and I'm just a normal guy…Who am I?…_

_            I am Vash the Stampede._


	9. Search for Truth

Disclaimer: We do not own Trigun. Someone else does.

A/N: XBlade is lazy, so I have to write the next 2 chapters. This is gonna kill me… x_x

Anyway…

            Search for Truth

            By Kouji

            Meryl sighed while washing dishes. It had been half a year since she had seen her family. Vash and Knives were declared dead, one son had gone crazy while the other son went off to find him. She hadn't seen Milly in 4 years, so all the people closest to her were gone. The days became lonelier and lonelier. Things they all left behind reminded her of them, making it several times worse. Suddenly a plate hit the floor, shattering. Meryl began to quietly cry. 

            ~~~

            Meanwhile, Jin and Sly were in the back of a school supplies truck, starving to death. Nothing in the truck was edible. It was all things like erasers, pencils, paper, etc. 

But that didn't stop Sly…

            Sly stared at the white stick in his hand. "Hey…"

            Jin looked over to Sly. "What?"

            "Is chalk edible?"

            "I think so… Why?"

            "Oh, no reason…"

            "Okay…"

            Sly stared at the piece of chalk and took a bite out of it.

            Jin stared at Sly. "Sly, I'm disappointed in you…"

            "Sorry…"

            "If you were hungry, why didn't you say so?" Jin said happily, smiling.

            "Hm?"

            "Try paper, it tastes better!" Jin smiled, eating a piece of notebook paper.

            "Okay…"

            The duo then commenced to eat paper.

            ~~~

            Meryl then glared. "What am I doing? I shouldn't be standing here crying! I should go look for my babies! Jin, Daggers… Momma's coming!" She yelled as she searched for something. She got out her old outfit, and seeing it still fit, she put it on. She adjusted her cloak, and went into her and Vash's bedroom. She looked under her bed and pulled out a case. Meryl opened the case, where all 50 of her derringers were carried. She reloaded them all, which took awhile, then put them all in her cloak. Her hair had since grown all these years, so she took it out of it's pony tail, and cut it back to the way it was when she had met Vash. "Don't want it to get in the way", she said.

            ~~~

            Milly had just woken up. Wearing a purple nightgown, she yawned, went into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of pudding from the fridge, got a spoon, and sat down on the living room couch. She then, well began eating. The door bell suddenly rang. Milly brightened up and said, "Yay! Visitors!" She put the pudding down, went over to the door, and opened it. What she saw made her teary eyed. Her lip trembled. "M-Meryl? Is that really you?"

            Meryl smiled, nodding. She eyes were also getting a bit misty. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She looked at Milly. _She hasn't changed a bit…_ The two hugged, then Meryl's face became serious. "Milly, I have to ask you a favor…"

            Milly's head tilted a bit. "Hm? Like what?"

            "I'm going to find my sons, and I need you to come with me…"

            "… You really want my help?"

            "Yes… I have no one else to turn to… Vash is dead…"

            "Not Mr. Vash! I'm sorry…"

            "It's alright… That's why I need you… You're the only one I have left that I can turn to…"

            "Alright, I'll help you! Wait here!" Milly closed the door, then a few minutes later, opened the door and appeared to be fully dressed, tidied up, and Stun Gun in hand.

            "… How did you do that?" Meryl asked.

            "Do what?" Milly smiled.

            "… Nevermind…"

            ~~~

            Meryl and Milly hopped into a red Jeep, and began their journey. They first traveled to all the cities visted in their adventures, when they heard that 'Jin the Stampede' was last seen in March City. Meryl gulped. "He's in the outer cities?! My poor baby!"

            "What's wrong with the outer cities?"

            "They're so… big! He could be lost!"

            "Aw… He should be fine! My second middle brother who is younger than my fourth older sister who has a twin sister has been to the outer cities and he was fine!"

            "… I'm a bit confused at what you said, but I'll take your word for it… Let's take a Sandsteamer!"

            "Oh, that nice man over there with 3 sixes carved on his forehead said that the Sandsteamer that usually goes through the outer cities was badly damaged!"

            "Oh no! Looks like we'll have to drive! And Milly?"

            "What?"

            "Um… Stay away from people like that from now on…"

            "Aw… But he seemed so nice!"

            ~~~

            As the two friends traveled through the badlands, a sandstorm kicked up. Milly frowned while yelling over the noise. "Meryl, when will this stop?!"

            Meryl squinted and yelled. "I don't know! If I get my hands on the person that damaged that Sandsteamer, though…"

            The storm began to get worse. The two became lost in the sand…

            ~~~

            Meryl woke up in a cave. She looked around and saw Milly looking at her. 

            "Meryl!" she yelled. "You're awake!"

            "Yeah… Where are we?"

            "Oh, Mr. Knives brought us here!"

            "Milly, don't be silly… Knives died, too…"

            "Oh, too bad… Because this person looks like him too!" Milly said, pointing at someone who looked remarkably like Knives. He waved. 

            "Yes, it's me…" Knives said, looking bored. He was wearing a tattered space suit.

            "Knives? It's really you… Is… Vash--" Meryl began.

            "Yes, he's fine… Sort of…"

            "What do you mean, 'sort of '?"

            "He's… sort of---"

            A man with tall spiky blond hair walks into the cave. He was also wearing a tattered space suit.  "Hello, Knives… Who are these two?"

            "Oh my god… My poor Vash, he's--"

            Knives interrupted. "Yep. Lost his memory… He thinks he's a man called 'Ericks'…"

            Vash, or 'Ericks' smiled. "The one with the black hair is kinda cute!"

            Meryl blushed. _Still a charmer, at least…_

            Ericks sat down. "So, what are your names, if I may ask?"

            Meryl fought the urge to cry. "I'm… Meryl…"

            Milly looked confused. "But Mr. Vash! You know my name! It's Milly, silly!"

            "Well hi there, Meryl… Milly Silly… And why did you call me 'Vash'? My name is Ericks…"

            "Because you are Vash! And my name is just Milly! And… Oh wait, that's right… You lost your memory…" Milly said sadly.

            ~~~

            Later, after the sandstorm had ended, Meryl and Ericks were looking at the stars. 

            "…Why are you so sad, Meryl?…" Ericks asked.

            Meryl sighed. "Because… I thought I had lost someone very important to me… Then I realized he was alright… But didn't remember me…"

            "… You're talking about me, right?"

            "… Yes…"

            "Well, I don't know what this 'Vash' guy is like, but from what I've heard, he's a pretty swell guy…"

            "Yes… He's a wonderful man…"

            "I see…"

            Meryl edges over toward Ericks. 

            "Um… What are you doing?" Ericks asks nervously.

            Meryl kisses him on the lips, and Ericks returns the kiss. After they end the kiss, Ericks grabs his head and screams out. 

            "Ericks, are you okay?!"

            Ericks has a rush of memories going through his mind. Memories of the explosion, memories of his sons, the rehabilitation of Knives, the fight with Knives, the Gung Ho Guns, Wolfwood, Meryl…, Milly, July City, Sky City, the 2 guns, Project SEEDS, Knives, and Rem… He then blacked out.

            ~~~

            Vash woke up next to Meryl, Knives and Milly. It was morning. He blinked and said "What's going on? How did I get here? Meryl, what are you doing here? And Milly?! Nice to see you again!"

            Meryl began to cry and hugged Vash. Vash looked confused, but returned the hug. "Meryl… Why are you crying?"

            "Because…" Meryl whispered. "I love you…"

            Vash smiled. "I love you too, Meryl…"

            Milly began crying in happiness. "Awwww! That's so beautiful!"

            Knives just smirked. "Welcome back… Brother…"

            Meryl let go, ran over to the Jeep and got out a case from it. "I have a gift for you…" She got out a new red coat and gave it to Vash. "I know it's not as good as you old one, but… I had been working on it before the ship explosion, and I finished it last night…"

            Vash, still smiling, put it on. "It's better than the old one, because it was made by you…"

            Meryl got out a black coat just like Vash's new one. "And this is for you, Knives… It's a late 'Welcome to the Family' present…"

            Knives smiled. "Thank you, Meryl…"

            "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find Jin and Daggers!" Milly yelled.

            "Can we get something to eat, first?" Vash asked. "I'm hungry…"

            Meryl smiled. "Oh, Vash…"

            ~~~

            Somewhere in a desert at night, Jin and Sly were pouting. "Hey!… We were barely even in this episode!"

            **The End… For now!**

            ~~~

            Must… keep… writing… x_x


	10. Beach Holiday

Disclaimer: Blah. No own Trigun. It's just the babblings of a fan…

A/N: Hopefully, XBlade will take over next chapter. I'm pumping out all my ideas… x.x!

            Beach Holiday

            By Kouji

            The duo, after sneaking on a Sandsteamer, had reached the small town of April. Jin had heard there was a swimsuit contest, so he and Sly took a little _break_ from their search for Daggers. They arrived at exactly 8:00 AM, four hours until the contest began. Suddenly, a well- dressed man ran up to them. "Are you Jin the Stampede and Sylve--"

            Sly interrupted him. "Don't use the real name…"

            "Oh, sorry…" the man apologized. "What should I call you, then?"

            "Just call me Sly…"

            "Okay then, Sly…"

            Jin raised an eyebrow. "May we ask what your name is?"

            "Oh! Sorry… I am John P. Conwile, sponsor of this contest and owner of this island!"

            Sly stared at Conwile. "What's an old man like you doing sponsoring a swimsuit contest?"

            "W-well, you see…" Conwile stumbled.

            "I see… You're nothing but a dirty old man!"

            "Aw, you don't have to put it that way…"

            Jin interrupted the conversation. "Why did you contact us, anyway?"

            Conwile frowned. "Well you see, someone has been killing off contestants and--"

            "And you want us to figure out who's doing this, right?"

            "Yes, that would be nice…"

            "… What's in it for us?"

            "I'm a very wealthy man… I could get that damage to the Sandsteamer fixed, thus you have no bounty on your head…"

            "That's a good deal… We'll do it!"

            "Good! You now have… 3 hours and 55 minutes to find this person!"

            ~~~

            Sly frowned. "Jin, do you think it was a good idea to accept this? I mean, I could always work off the money and you could TRY to stay out of trouble and not get the bounty raised… It WAS my fault, so… Jin? Jin?!" Sly turned around to see Jin flirting with contestants. Sly got an "X" shaped vein on his head as he walked over to Jin, bopped him on the head and dragged him away.

            Jin glared. "What did ya do that for?!"

            "We HAVE a JOB to do… "

            "You were the one who had doubts!"

            "Yeah, but it wouldn't be a good idea to get close to one of the contestants… They could die at any--" Suddenly, the lights went out. There was a scream, then the lights came back on and there was a dead body. 

            "Noooo!!! They got the really really cute one!!!" Jin yelled.

            "Hey, Jin…"

            "Whyyyy!!! She was so young!!"

            "Jin…"

            "BWAAAAA!!!"

            "JIN!!!!"

            "You don't have to yell… What is it?"

            "… Look…"

            "What?"

            "The killer slipped up and left a bloody trail… I shot her in the arm"

            "Hey… How did you know that the killer was a she?"

            "Well, um… I sorta slipped and grabbed onto her…"

            "Never mind, don't wanna hear it…"

            "Well, let's go!"

            ~~~

            "Damn gunman…" hissed a female voice.  "Shoot me then grabbing me…" she turned on a light switch to reveal a black haired woman in a red, very skimpy bikini. Her long hair went all the way down her back. She looked at her bleeding arm, got out a first-aid kit, and patched it up. She then looked back and realized she had left a trail. "Shit! Now they're going to find me! I have to get out of here!"

            "Too late!" Jin said, silver guns drawn. Sly stood next to him, with two pistols in hand. The woman gave them a hateful look.

            "Why? Why must you ruin my dream?"

            Sly raised an eyebrow. "What?…"

            "Ever since I was a girl, I wanted to win in a swimsuit contest… But they said I didn't have what it takes… So I began killing other contestants this year, hoping to get rid of most of the competition… I am Sary…"

            "Yeah, yeah… Save me the sob story", Sly glared, "That doesn't make what you did right… You senselessly took the lives of girls with similar dreams to yours… Now you have to live with that guilt…"

            "You're right… I'm… sorry…"

            "Now just turn yourself in, and we'll see what we can work out…"

            "No! I won't let you!" She said as she brought out a gun and shot Sly, making him hit the wall.

            "Sly!" Jin yelled.

            "Don't worry, she only hit my shoulder… She almost got me, though… Now take her out!"

            "Sounds like a plan to me!" He faced of against Sary. "Looks like I have to fight you! Too bad, you're kind of cute!"

            "R-Really?…" Sary sputtered.

            "Yeah… I'd say you would have had a good chance in winning! Too bad you had to ruin it…" Jin said, shooting Sary in the 9 vital targets. She fell to the ground.

            "Whoa!" Sly yelled. "That was overkill!! What the hell's wrong with you?!!"

            "Don't worry…" Jin said, taking out a bullet from the left gun. "Rubber bullets! Got them from my dad's old stuff before I left!"

            "Oh…"

            "She's just stunned… Let's hurry off to the old man!"

            ~~~

            Colewile looked at the tied up young woman. "So, this is the one who was killing the contestants?"

            Jin nodded. "Now, about that reward…"

            "Oh, yes! Of course! I'll send someone to pay for the Sandsteamer, and your bounties should be off within a week!"

            "Thanks… Now Sly, let's just enjoy the competition!"

            "… Jin, I'm surprised…" Sly muttered.

            "Hm? What?!"

            "Many young woman were struck down today… We should at least have some sense of honor…"

            "Yeah, you're right… Sorry…"

            "Let's have a moment of silence, _then_ we can see the competition… We do have around 2 hours anyway…"

            Jin nodded, and the stood to have a moment of silence for the dead competitors.

            ~~~

            Jin and Sly stared as they were kicked out of the arena. Sly stared at Jin. "You just HAD to jump on stage, didn't you?"

            Jin nervously shrugged. "I didn't see a 'No jumping on stage' sign, so I went for it!"

            Sly smiles a bit. "Oh well, at least we're gonna have that bounty off our head soon…"

            "Yeah…" Jin says, smiling. They then walk off to wait for the ferry off the island.

            ~~~

            Meanwhile, Vash and the others were driving through the desert night. Vash was driving and smiling. "Wow! It sure is great to be driving my old Jeep again!"

            Meryl's eyes widened. "Vash, keep your eyes on the… um, sand!"

            "Huh?" Vash said, opening his eyes to see Febuary City. "GAH!!" He made a sharp turn, and hit the breaks. They just barely nicked the wall of a bar. 

Knives blinked. "Vash… I think I should drive from now on…"

            "Nonsense! Besides, I parked right next to this bar!" Vash said, running into the bar.

            "Oh no you don't Vash!" Meryl said, getting out of the vehicle.

            "Aw, c'mon Meryl!" Milly said, dragging Meryl into the bar. "It'll be fun!"

            Knives was left alone in the Jeep. He stared at the bar, stood up and said "Why the hell not…" He then ran into the bar.

            ~~~

            Vash and Knives were sitting down, drunken out of their minds and began to sing. "Na… nanana… nanana… nana NANANANA! 

aoi sora no shita de! kaze wa mirai ni fuku…

taiyou no hizashi wo… dakishimeru you ni

tada! nagasareru dake!

ashiato dake wo nokoshite…" Vash's face then turned green, he held his mouth closed, and ran towards the restroom.

            Meryl rubbed her temples, groaning. "Why me?"

            Milly, on the other side of the bar, was so drunk she began stripping.

            Meryl groaned again. She dragged Milly, Knives, Milly's clothes, and Vash (when he got out of the restroom) out of the bar and drove away to March City, where she hoped to find her son, Jin. Then her plan would be to go find Daggers. She just hoped they were both all right…

            ~~~

            Jin and Sly hopped on to the Sandsteamer, when a cloaked figure also got on. Sly looked over to the figure and stared. _I'll have to keep an eye on that person_… They then looked around for some donuts so Jin would be quiet finally. The Sandsteamer took off, and they were back on their way to March City…

            ~~~

            Your turn, XBlade… =P


End file.
